* A research team headed by K-State E. coli O157:H7 expert T.G. Nagaraja has been tapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study both the connection between feeding distillers' grains and E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle and several strategies to reduce the presence of the naturally occurring pathogen in the animals. The group has received a $939,220 National Research Initiative in Food Safety grant. Nagaraja, a university distinguished professor of microbiology, said the issue of meat safety is receiving full attention from both researchers and the meat industry and is being addressed. This research project will greatly enhance our understanding of the exact relationship between dietary distillers' grains and E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle, as well as provide us with an opportunity to look at novel ways to mitigate the potential risks of feeding this valuable co-product. The research team also includes K-State professors David Renter, Mike Sanderson and Dan Thomson, and doctoral student Megan Jacob. August 2008

* Wendy Ornelas, associate dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Design, has been elected a director of the National Architectural Accrediting Board for a term ending in 2010. The board accredits all professional architecture programs in the United States. August 2008

* Nancy Muturi, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, has been elected chair of the HIV/AIDS working group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research. Muturi is serving a four-year term. August 2008

* A career option that is finding growing interest at K-State is the subject of a new book that includes a contribution from Kerri Day Keller, director of K-State's career and employment services. Keller's advice is included in "The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference." The new comprehensive guidebook was written by Shelly Cryer and was jointly released by publisher Fieldstone Alliance and American Humanics. The book is for anyone considering a career in the nonprofit sector. Keller is the only college career services professional to be featured in the 300-page book. Her contribution, about a page and half, is on using the "elevator pitch," a special networking technique. July 2008

* A new book by K-State's Walter Dodds, professor of ecology, uses nontechnical terms to help explain the current health and future of the Earth. Dodds' book, "Humanity's Footprint: Momentum, Impact and Our Global Environment," has been published by Columbia University Press. In the book, Dodds provides evidence for the debate on human environmental impacts, while remaining realistic about sociological controls and limits. July 2008

* Leslie Hannah, assistant dean of academics at K-State at Salina, has been appointed to the Sequoyah Commission, a scholarly think tank that serves as an advisory group for Chadwick Smith, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Hannah was appointed to a three-year term on the commission, where he will work to encourage the preservation of scholarly research relevant to the Cherokee Nation. Hannah also is an assistant professor of arts, sciences and business at K-State at Salina and primarily teaches English and American Indian studies at K-State at Salina. A Cherokee, he is originally from Tahlequah, Okla., home of the Cherokee Nation's headquarters. July 2008

* K-State was one of 16 universities nationwide recognized for bioenergy initiatives by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Bio Energy Awareness Days in Washington, D.C., June 19-22. K-State won a Grand Challenge award for a vision paper, "Food, Feed, Energy and Ecosystem Services: A Role for American Agriculture." Co-authors are agronomy professors Charles W. Rice and Scott Staggenborg, and Richard Nelson, associate professor and head of the Kansas Industrial Extension Service. The Grand Challenge is the major award made during the event, and promotes the development of a vision that the winning universities will contribute in the emerging bio economy. June 2008

* Lori A. Goetsch, dean of libraries at K-State, was elected vice president and president-elect of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Goetsch will become president-elect after the 2008 American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim, Calif., and will assume the presidency in July 2009 for a one-year term. June 2008

* Byron Jones, the College of Engineering's associate dean for research and graduate programs and director of the Engineering Experiment Station, is the recipient of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standards Achievement Award. The award recognizes significant and exceptional service in the area of standards leadership and technical contributions. Jones is being recognized for his work in chairing the committee responsible for the society's new Standard 161, Air Quality Within Commercial Aircraft. The standard, which covers issues such as temperature, cabin pressure, air contaminants and ventilation rates, can be voluntarily adopted by individual airlines or the Federal Aviation Administration. May 2008

* A K-State professor whose students' work has been viewed online by millions is a finalist for the Inspire Integrity Awards from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Michael Wesch, assistant professor of anthropology, is one of 15 finalists for the awards, which recognize faculty who have had a significant impact on their students' lives and instilled a high degree of personal and academic integrity. Undergraduate members of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars nominate faculty members who inspire integrity through their classroom lectures, activities and curriculum. The nominees then write a brief essay on the concept of integrity and its meaning to them personally. Competition is conducted at a regional level, with three finalists from each of the society's five regions selected to advance to the national competition. Wesch was among the finalists from the society's region four and receives a $250 stipend for the regional honor. A national selection committee will choose the national winner and one runner-up in June. May 2008

* Recognizing the expertise in swine medicine and nutrition at K-State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a $4.8 million grant to bring a comprehensive program to fight porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome to the university. The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Coordinated Agricultural Project, to be headed by virologist and professor Bob Rowland, is charged with guiding the national effort to eradicate the syndrome. The project encompasses not only research efforts, but educational ones as well. The grant will provide $1.2 million a year for the next four years. May 2008

* David Kozar, a program assistant in the Division of Continuing Education and a student in K-State's graduate certificate program in conflict resolution, has been named a World Peace Fellow by Rotary International. Seventy fellows from 33 countries were selected for their leadership potential in government, business, education, media and other professional areas. Each fellow has the opportunity to pursue a master's degree in conflict resolution, peace studies, international relations and related disciplines. The fellowship will fund Kozar's studies toward a master's in international studies in peace and conflict resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. May 2008

* K-State's Tony Jurich, professor of family studies and human services and a family therapist, has written the new book "Family Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents" published by Routledge. The book outlines the therapeutic style Jurich has developed through research, theory, ideas and counseling with thousands of suicidal adolescents and their families in his effort to treat the individuals and understand the nature of suicide and its special fascination for youth. April 2008

* Michael Herman, associate professor in the Division of Biology at K-State, will head to the Netherlands for the fall 2008 semester to serve as a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholar. Fulbright Program scholars, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. While in the Netherlands, Herman will be collaborating with several scientists throughout the country to further his research and knowledge in ecological genomics and quantitative genetics. April 2008

* Lee Skabelund, assistant professor of landscape architecture, won two awards from regional chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architecture for his work on a rain garden at the International Student Center. The Prairie Gateway Chapter of the society presented Skabelund with a 2008 award of excellence for his work on the project. The society's Central States Conference also recognized Skabelund with a 2008 award of merit in the built-design category. The rain garden was completed in 2007. April 2008

* K-State researchers Randy Phebus and Dick Oberst have been tapped by the U. S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Mass., to ensure what soldiers eat and drink is free of pathogenic microorganisms or biological toxins. Since 2005, Phebus and Oberst have taken tests used in the food industry to detect pathogens and evaluated them relative to the military mission. With about $1.7 million in research funding to date, they've looked at a few different methods and used them on about a dozen food types. April 2008

* Wheat researcher and university distinguished professor Bikram Gill is one of the most influential in his field, according to the Web site ISIHighlyCited.com. Gill is listed as one of the world's most influential researchers in the plant and animal science category. According to the site, his work was cited 2,177 times, which put him among the top half a percent of publishing authors. April 2008

* Steven L. Stockham, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State, and co-author Michael A. Scott, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, have written a second edition of "Fundamentals of Veterinary Clinical Pathology," available now from Blackwell Publishing. The book offers information about common clinical laboratory tests that veterinarians use to evaluate domestic mammals like dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Students can learn what the tests measure, conditions that affect results and what those results indicate about the animal's health or illness. The second edition offers students information on additional disorders and includes new images and illustrations. April 2008

* Mary Molt, assistant director of K-State housing and dining services and an assistant professor of hotel, restaurant, institution management and dietetics, has been honored by the Midwest Region of the National Association of College and University Food Services with a scholarship created in her name. Her volunteer work for the association includes participation in a recent Visioning Summit, service on its national board of directors and chairing the Clark E. DeHaven Scholarship board of trustees. She also has received the association's highest honor, the Theodore W. Minah Award for service to the food service industry, and the Richard Lichtenfeld Award for outstanding service to the association on a national level. March 2008

* Denis M. Medeiros, head of K-State's department of human nutrition, has been appointed to a prestigious and powerful grant reviewing section of the National Institutes of Health. Medeiros' selection to the Integrative Nutrition and Metabolic Processes Study Section means he will review grant proposals in human nutrition for potential funding. The study section influences where government funds are spent for nutrition research. Medeiros is also associate dean for scholarship and research in K-State's College of Human Ecology. His chief area of research is with trace elements and disease, specifically on the role of copper in heart disease, and the role that iron plays in bone integrity. March 2008

* Mary Molt, assistant director of K-State housing and dining services and an assistant professor of hotel, restaurant, institution management and dietetics, has been honored by the Midwest Region of the National Association of College and University Food Services with a scholarship created in her name. Her volunteer work for the association includes participation in a recent Visioning Summit, service on its national board of directors and chairing the Clark E. DeHaven Scholarship board of trustees. She also has received the association's highest honor, the Theodore W. Minah Award for service to the food service industry, and the Richard Lichtenfeld Award for outstanding service to the association on a national level. March 2008

* Two K-State faculty members have earned awards from the University Continuing Education Association, which also has recognized two K-State marketing and publication efforts with honors. Virginia Moxley, dean of the College of Human Ecology, is the recipient of the 2008 Faculty Service Award, while Ann Murray, associate professor of family studies and human services, has received the 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award. Moxley is a founding member of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance and co-founder of K-State's Institute for Academic Alliances. Murray teaches assessment of young children and infant behavior and development, both online courses. She was an early adopter of distance learning technologies on campus. March 2008

* Denis Medeiros, professor and head of K-State's department of human nutrition and associate dean for scholarship and research at the College of Human Ecology, is the co-author of a new textbook on nutrition that comes with many special extras. "Nutrition: Real People, Real Choices," published by Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson, offers students practical information they can apply to their lives, Medeiros said. The textbook, co-authored with Susan Hewlings, also offers information in an accessible way through further readings, Web sites, video clips, animations, Q-and-A's to help students prepare for exams and more. March 2008

* Brian A. Coon, associate professor of civil engineering and director of the University Transportation Center at K-State, has been appointed to the Committee on Tort Liability and Risk Management by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, a private nonprofit institution that provides expertise in science and technology to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The council is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. The Committee on Tort Liability and Risk Management fills needs of the states for research, education and training in the areas of tort liability and the administration of risk management. March 2008

* Three K-State  faculty members have received 2008 Artist Fellowship Awards from the Kansas Arts Commission. Elizabeth Dodd, professor of English, and Susan Jackson Rodgers, associate professor of English, both earned $5,000 Kansas Master Fellowships. The Master Fellowship awards are presented to mature artists with an exceptional quality of work, a history of recognized contributions to their art form and an extensive record of artistic achievement and professional activity. Dodd's award is for her poetry, while Rodgers was honored for her fiction. Both Dodd and Rodgers are now two-time recipients of Kansas Arts Commission fellowships, with each receiving their first awards in 1998. Sherry Haar, associate professor of apparel and textiles, received a $750 Kansas Mid-Career Fellowship for her textile design work. The fellowships are given to promising mid-career artists who have been recognized by peers in their fields. Recipients of Kansas Arts Commission fellowships are selected by an expert panel that includes members of the commission and arts professionals. March 2008

* Carla Jones, assistant vice president and senior associate dean of student life at K-State, has been recognized by the American College Personnel Association's Educational Leadership Foundation as a 2008 Diamond Honoree. The honor recognizes outstanding and sustained contributions to higher education and to student affairs. The Diamond Honoree program is both a leadership recognition and fundraising activity. Funds raised on behalf of the honorees help with the foundation's scholarship, research, leadership and professional development programs. Jones is one of 15 individuals selected for the honor this year. March 2008

* Timothy K. Behrens, an assistant professor of kinesiology at K-State, was one of nine people to be named a Fellow of the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Behrens joins about 375 fellows in the consortium, which is a group of more than 5,500 alliance members who have a strong interest in research. Fellows are selected for their scholarship, including research presentations and publications. February 2008

* Sally Bailey, an associate professor and director of graduate studies in theater and director of the drama therapy program at K-State, is recipient of the 2007 Award for Distinguished Service in Arts and Disabilities from Accessible Arts Inc. and the Kansas State Board of Education. The award recognizes Bailey for her course Drama Therapy for Special Populations, which pairs K-State students with children, teens and young adults with disabilities to help the students learn about inclusion of all individuals in work and in play. Bailey also is being recognized for her Barrier-Free Theater, which is offered through the city of Manhattan's Parks and Recreation Department and in conjunction with the Manhattan Arts Center. February 2008

* With the help of K-State experts Edgar Chambers IV and Delores Chambers, a university in Thailand is establishing that country's first sensory and consumer research center. The Chambers previously helped form the Thailand Sensory Network, an organization for sensory professionals in Thailand. Edgar Chambers, a professor of human nutrition, is a pioneer in sensory analysis and a professor of human nutrition at K-State. He and Delores Chambers, assistant professor of human nutrition, are co-directors of K-State's Sensory Analysis Center. The Chambers are helping to establish Kasetsart University Sensory and Consumer Research Center. Kasetsart is the country's leading university for food and agriculture. The K-State professors are providing expertise on training the panel and sending staff one week a month for the four months of training. The panel should be ready for its first project in May. The goal is to be as similar as possible to the panel at K-State to allow for collaborative projects. February 2008

* Millions of Chinese pigs are dying each year of a disease that isn't fully understood. But thanks to the expertise of K-State virologist Dick Hesse who recently visited China with a team of specialists, Chinese officials are a step closer to understanding the root of the problem. As part of the scientific delegation, Hesse, director of diagnostic virology at K-State, worked with four research centers and traveled to several farms to help officials better diagnose the disease . The team found that ailing pigs were most often suffering from more than one virus and noted several steps to enhance biosecurity in the U.S. February 2008

* The Encyclopedia Britannica named Michael Wesch, assistant professor of cultural anthropology at K-State, to its editorial board of advisers. Wesch explores the impact of new media on human interaction. His video "The Machine is Us/ing Us," which was widely circulated on the Internet last year, and his other new-media scholarship brought him to Britannica's attention. The 12-member board includes a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Nobel laureate and even a member of the House of Lords. Editorial advisers in the encyclopedia's ink-on-paper past included Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Marie Curie and Sigmund Freud. February 2008

* Juergen Richt, K-State's Regents Distinguished Professor, is one of Kansas' first Bioscience Eminent Scholars. The Kansas Bioscience Eminent Scholars Program is designed to attract distinguished bioscience researchers to Kansas research institutions, as well as their research and commercialization activities. An eminent scholar is a relatively new hire and an individual acknowledged as a scholar of distinction by national measures. The honor also comes with roughly $2 million in research funding over the next five years. Richt, an expert in emerging zoonotic diseases, is a veterinary microbiologist who has worked with multiple agents of zoonotic potential, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease, animal flu, borna virus and other emerging diseases. Zoonotic diseases, those that can be transmitted between humans and animals, are a growing concern for pubic health. He is one of two Kansas Bioscience Eminent Scholars for 2008. January 2008

* Ted T. Cable, a professor of park management and conservation, was selected for a monthlong Fulbright senior specialists project at the University of Bamako in the West African country of Mali. Cable, who also is assistant head of the department of horticulture, forestry and recreation resources, is spending the month of May training students, private-sector tour guides and Peace Corps volunteers in ecotourism and heritage tourism. January 2008

* Two K-State physicists were part of a team making world news in the scientific community. Tim Bolton, K-State project leader, and Yurii Maravin and a team of graduate and undergraduate students, have worked for the past seven years helping bring to life the world's most powerful particle accelerator, known as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. K-State is one of 48 institutions from 22 states and Puerto Rico involved in this project. Approximately 2,300 international collaborators are working on the project. Their work reached a key milestone Jan. 22 with the insertion of the final piece of the 1430 ton Compact Muon Solenoid detector into the 17 mile long circular tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider. The detector, in essence a giant high-speed digital camera, will provide snapshots of the violent collisions between beams of counter-rotating protons in the collider. Each of these collisions release up to 14 trillion electron-volts of energy. January 2008

* Eric Shappee, flight and ground instructor and associate professor of aviation at K-State at Salina, has earned renewed Master Certificated Flight Instructor accreditation from the National Association of Flight Instructors. Shappee has held the professional accreditation continuously since 2001. He is one of only 15 Kansas aviation educators with the prestigious designation. According to the National Association of Flight Instructors, the title is awarded only to the top instructors in the nation. In all, K-State at Salina has five faculty members who have earned this top designation -- the most of any college or university in the nation, according to the National Association of Flight Instructors. Along with Shappee, they are Kurt Barnhart, professor and head of the department of aviation; Bill Gross, professor of aviation and chief pilot; Bernard King, associate professor of aviation; and Troy Brockway, associate professor of aviation. January 2008